Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 58 of 101 1 2 56 57 58 59 60 100 101
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,696
Likes: 2
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,696
Likes: 2
SESQUIPEDALIANISM

PRONUNCIATION: (ses-kwi-pi-DAYL-yuh-niz-uhm)

MEANING: noun:
1. The practice of using big words.
2. A very long word.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin sesqui- (one and a half) + ped- (foot). Earliest documented use: 1863.
_____________________________
SESQUIPEDALIAN IS ME - said the 18-inch-tall midget

'S EQUI-PEDALIANISM - it's the doctrine of having all one's feet the same length

SESQUIPETALIANISM - Schroedinger's Daisy, with one-and-a-half petals; it can't makeup it's mind whether she loves me or she loves me not

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,696
Likes: 2
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,696
Likes: 2
MAINPAST

PRONUNCIATION: (MAYN-past)

MEANING: noun:
1. A household.
2. A member of a household.
3. A servant.
4. A dependent.

ETYMOLOGY: From Old French mainpast (household), from Latin manupastus (household or its member), from manus (hand) + pastus, past participle of pascere (to feed). Earliest documented use: 1865.
_____________________________

MAINE PAST - formerly part of Massachusetts

MAINPASTA - we're having spaghetti for dinner

MATINPAST - yesterday morning

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,696
Likes: 2
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,696
Likes: 2
OPENHANDED

PRONUNCIATION: (oh-puhn-HAN-duhd)

MEANING: adjective:
1. Generous; liberal.
2. Delivered with an open hand, as a blow.

ETYMOLOGY: The figurative meaning alludes to someone giving money or other things away with an open hand. Earliest documented use: 1593. Some opposite terms are clutchfist, ironfisted, and hardfisted.
________________________

OPEN-HANDEL - the first two measures of The Messiah

COPENHANDED - they're very generous in the capital of Denmark

OPEN HAN DID - Yoda describes a poker game on the Millennium Falcon

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,696
Likes: 2
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,696
Likes: 2
LIGHT-FINGERED

PRONUNCIATION: (lyt-FING-uhrd, LYT-fing-)

MEANING: adjective:
1. Prone to or skilled at stealing.
2. Having nimble fingers or having a light touch.

ETYMOLOGY: From light, from Old English leoht + finger, from Old English. Earliest documented use: 1546. A synonym of the first sense is sticky-fingered.
____________________________

SIGHT-FINGERED - skilled in Braille

FLIGHT-FINGERED - hands-on piloting

LIGHTING-EARED - "portmanteau puppet" - part Yoda, part E.T.

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,696
Likes: 2
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,696
Likes: 2
THUMBSUCKER

PRONUNCIATION: (THUHM-suhk-uhr)

MEANING: noun:
1. Someone who likes to suck their thumb.
2. A journalistic piece that deals with the background and interpretation of events instead of hard news.

ETYMOLOGY: Why thumbsucker for such a piece of writing? It has been explained as something that a journalist writes after sucking their thumb for a while instead of going out there and covering hard news. Another interpretation is that such a piece provides background and interpretation of an event as a way to comfort the reader. It’s also called news analysis or a think piece. Earliest documented use: 1891.
__________________________

THUMBTUCKER - so much thumb-wrestling that your thumb is all tuckered out

THUMB-ZUCKER - what you use to induce German infants to suck on their thumbs

THUMB-SICKER - having a worse infection on ones' pollex

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,696
Likes: 2
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,696
Likes: 2
SOUTHPAW

PRONUNCIATION: (SOUTH-paw)

MEANING: noun: A left-handed person.
adjective: Left-handed.

ETYMOLOGY: Of unknown origin. Earliest documented use: 1813.

NOTES: The term is especially common in baseball to describe a left-handed pitcher and in boxing to describe a boxer who uses the left hand for the most powerful punches, but what’s the origin of the term? According to popular belief, the term originated in baseball: the diamond was placed so the batter faces east and avoids the afternoon sun. A left-handed pitcher facing the batter would thus have the left hand to the south. The only problem with this is that the earliest citation of the term doesn’t involve baseball or any other sports.
_____________________

SOUTHPOW - a roundhouse punch delivered by the left hand

MOUTHPAW - hoof-and-mouth disease

COUTHPAW - what a doggie offers you in polite greeting

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,696
Likes: 2
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,696
Likes: 2
STAYCATION

PRONUNCIATION: (STAY-kay-shuhn)

MEANING: noun: A vacation spent at home or close to home.
verb intr.: To vacation at or close to home.

ETYMOLOGY: A blend of stay + vacation, from Latin vacare (to be empty). Earliest documented use: 1944. Also see, busman’s holiday.

NOTES: It’s all relative. In the US, a vacation taken at or close to home -- a day trip -- is a staycation. In the UK, the definition includes any vacation taken within one’s country instead of traveling abroad. _______________________________

STRAYCATION - aimlessly driving the RV

STAGCATION - 2-weeks away from work - for men only

STAY CAT ICON - the Board of Directors of MGM will keep the lion as its symbol

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,696
Likes: 2
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,696
Likes: 2
ORATURE

PRONUNCIATION: (OR-uh-chuhr)

MEANING: noun: Songs, poems, stories, etc., transmitted orally across generations.

ETYMOLOGY: A blend of oral + literature. Earliest documented use: 1976.
__________________________

RATURE - the ecstasy of a large rodent in a cheese factory

ORALURE - seeking gold, or Why the Spaniards came to the New World

ORASURE - supremely confident in one's utterances

ORAPTURE - an apostrophe uttered by a very happy person

Last edited by wofahulicodoc; 07/07/22 12:28 AM. Reason: (afterthought added after)
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,696
Likes: 2
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,696
Likes: 2
PENNANT

PRONUNCIATION: (PEN-uhnt)

MEANING: noun:
1. A long tapering flag.
2. A flag symbolizing a sports championship or another achievement.
3. A victory, championship, etc.

ETYMOLOGY: A blend of pendant, from Latin pendre (to hang) + pennon, from Latin penna/pinna (feather). Earliest documented use: 1470.
____________________________________

PENZANT - home of a Pirate

PENNANG - a city (and a state) in northwest Mallaysa

PENWANT - something you lack when you're in jail

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,696
Likes: 2
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,696
Likes: 2
FLEXITARIAN

PRONUNCIATION: (flek-suh-TAYR-ee-uhn)

MEANING: noun: One who follows a primarily vegetarian diet but occasionally consumes animal products.
adjective: Primarily but not completely vegetarian.

ETYMOLOGY: A blend of flexible + vegetarian. Earliest documented use: 1998.
___________________________

ILEXITARIAN - a holly tree is supple, therefore eminently suitable for making into wreaths

FLO, EXITARIAN - Florence specializes in going out

FLEX ITALIAN - the bend in the Tower of Pisa

Page 58 of 101 1 2 56 57 58 59 60 100 101

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,550
Members9,187
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
Karin, JeffMackwood, artguitar, Jim_W, Rdbuffalo
9,187 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 196 guests, and 3 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
wofahulicodoc 10,696
tsuwm 10,542
LukeJavan8 9,928
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5